Teams fall a game-behind Bryant in standings and sets up big final weekend

RINDGE, N.H. (April 30, 2004) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 25 in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II poll, split a key Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with Saint Anselm College, ranked No. 5 in the NCBWA Northeast Regional rankings, at Crystal Field this afternoon.

Saint Anselm (27-17, 21-7 NE-10) rallied for an 8-4 victory in game one before Franklin Pierce (25-19, 21-7 NE-10) rebounded for a 4-2 decision in the nightcap. The two teams now head into the final weekend of the season still tied in the Northeast-10 standings, but fall a game behind No. 21 Bryant College (35-11, 23-7 NE-10) after it collected a 5-3 victory over Stonehill College this afternoon.

Franklin Pierce rounds out its regular season schedule with a three-game weekend series with College of Saint Rose beginning with a doubleheader at home tomorrow beginning and noon. Saint Anselm and Bryant square off with a three-game set beginning with a twinbill in Manchester tomorrow at noon. Saint Anselm also has a doubleheader against Assumption College on Tuesday. 

In game one this afternoon, Saint Anselm rallied from a 4-1 deficit after an inning of play to pick up the victory and gain the valuable head-to-head tiebreaker over Franklin Pierce as the Hawks had claimed a 6-1 victory over the Ravens back on April 15.

Junior right-hander Ryan Fecteau (Gilford, N.H./Gilford) rebounded from a rocky first inning in which he yielded four earned runs on four hits by holding Franklin Pierce scoreless the rest of the way on four hits. Fecteau posted his program-record sixth complete game of the season and allowed just the four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Junior Keith Beauregard (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) hit 3-for-4 for the Hawks, while sophomore John Welch (Medford, Mass./Maldon Catholic) finished 1-4 with three RBI. Sophomore Ryan Call (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) was also 1-4 and drove in a pair, while senior Keith Morrell (Natick, Mass./Belmont Hill) and freshman Tom Sheehan (Mendon, Mass./Nipmuc Regional) were both 2-4 with a run scored.            

Junior Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of his collegiate career earlier in the week due to injury and batted 2-4 with a double and run scored. Freshman Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) was 1-3 with a stolen base and RBI, while classmate Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was also 1-3.

Junior right-hander Keith Brouillard (Westport, Mass./Somerset) was handed his first loss of the season (8-1), ending his bid for a record ninth-straight winning decision. Brouillard was touched for a season-high eight runs, seven earned, on 12 hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work.

After Saint Anselm scored a run in the top of the first on a Welch sacrifice fly, Franklin Pierce responded with four in the home half. The first three Ravens reached base and sophomore Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) drove in the first run with a sac fly of his own.  Hart registered a two-run single through the right side two batters later and sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) followed with an RBI triple to right-center.

The Hawks crept within 4-2 with a run in the second on sac fly from Call, and then knotted the score with a two-run fourth. Morrell doubled to lead off the frame and scored on a single to right from Call. Sophomore Jerod Edmondson (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) drove in the tying run with the Hawks third sacrifice fly of the game.

Saint Anselm forged ahead with a single run in the fifth on yet another sac fly, this time off the bat of junior Josh Skowyra (Brimfield, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) to score Welch who reached on a fielder's choice. The Hawks broke the game open with three in the eighth. Freshman Mike Craig (Milford, Mass./Milford) registered an RBI single and Welch roped a two-run single to left-center.

After a leadoff single to Pennell in the second, which was quickly erased caught stealing, Fecteau retired nine-straight and 13 of 14 to keep the Hawks in the game.

GAME ONE: Boxscore & Play-by-Play            

In the nightcap, Franklin Pierce scored a pair of runs in the second and fourth innings to gain a split of the twinbill.

Junior right-hander Ryan Bowling (Cedar Springs, Mich./Cedar Springs) turned in a solid start to collect his fourth win of the season (4-2). He allowed two runs, just one earned, scattering seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 7.2 innings of work. Redshirt freshman Matt Fisher (Athol, Mass./Athol) came on with the tying runs in scoring position in the top of the ninth and fanned the only batter he faced to pick up his first career save.

Cavers paced the Ravens offense as he hit 2-3 with his team-leading sixth home run of the season and three RBI. Hart was 1-2 with a steal and run scored, while Pennell was 1-3 with a run scored as the Ravens posted the win on just five hits.

Welch hit 2-3 for Saint Anselm in the nightcap, while Beauregard was 2-4 with an RBI. Edmondson finished 2-5 with a double, while Sheehan was 1-3 with a run scored.

Junior Parrish Castor (Keene, N.H./Keene) took the loss (4-4) as he yielded two earned runs on just one hit, but walked seven and fanned two in 2.2 innings.

Saint Anselm took the early lead with a run in the first. Craig was hit by a Bowling pitch, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch.

The Ravens rallied with two in the second without the benefit of a base hit. Chambers drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second as Hart walked and moved to third on a double-steal before scoring on a wild pitch. Cavers drove in the go-ahead run when Castor walked him with the bases loaded.

Cavers gave Franklin Pierce all the runs they would need with a two-run bomb to left-center in the fourth.

Saint Anselm drew within 4-2 with a run in the eighth as Beauregard's RBI single to right scored Sheehan, who had drawn a leadoff walk, and chased Bowling. The Hawks threatened with two out in the ninth as Sheehan singled and Edmondson doubled down the rightfield line off Franklin Pierce freshman reliever Neil Cacciola (North Andover, Mass./Wakefield), but Fisher came on and fanned Morrell to end the game.

GAME TWO: BOXSCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY